Related Experiment Videos
Clinical and electroretinographic findings in fetal alcohol syndrome
T E Hug1, K M Fitzgerald, G W Cibis
1Department of Ophthalmology and the Vision Science Laboratory, The Children's Mercy Hospital and University of Missouri School of Medicine, Kansas City
Insights
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) can cause vision problems. Abnormal electroretinogram (ERG) tests in children with FAS indicate retinal dysfunction, aiding diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Fetal alcohol exposure is a significant public health concern.
- It is linked to various developmental issues, including visual impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of abnormal electroretinogram (ERG) findings in children diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
- To increase awareness of FAS diagnosis within the field of ophthalmology.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for 11 children diagnosed with FAS.
- Analysis of ophthalmologic examinations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, visual acuity tests, and ERG results.
Main Results:
- All subjects exhibited abnormal MRI findings.
- Optic nerve hypoplasia was present in 91% of subjects.
- Visual acuity was impaired in all but one child.
- Abnormal ERG results included reduced b-wave amplitude, prolonged implicit times, reduced Rmax, and increased log (k), with scotopic ERG more affected than photopic ERG.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure demonstrably alters retinal function, as indicated by abnormal ERG responses.
- The ERG serves as a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying suspected alcohol embryopathy.
Purpose:
Fetal exposure to alcohol is a serious public health problem and is associated with anomalies of the eye ground, as well as neurodevelopmental delay, growth delay, and characteristic facial features. Our purpose is to report the incidence of abnormal electroretinogram (ERG) results in children with fetal alcohol syndrome and raise awareness of the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome in ophthalmology.
Methods:
A retrospective review was performed on the records of 11 children with the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome. The results of the ophthalmologic examination, magnetic resonance imaging, visual acuity test, and ERG are reported.
Results:
The magnetic resonance imaging results were abnormal in all subjects tested. The ophthalmology examination showed optic nerve hypoplasia in 91% of the subjects. Visual acuity was reduced in all but one subject. The ERG results were abnormal, showing reduced b-wave amplitude, increased a- and b-wave implicit time, reduced Rmax, and increased log (k). The scotopic ERG was more severely affected than the photopic ERG.
Conclusions:
Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to changes in retinal function as evidenced by an abnormal ERG response. The ERG can therefore be a tool with which to identify suspected alcohol embryopathy.